Bake the Book: Glazed, Filled, Sugared, & Dipped

Mmmm...doughnuts. So many types, so little time. What's an eater to do? If your answer was "make your own", read on. Introducing Glazed, Filled, Sugared, & Dipped, the first book from Stephen Collucci, pastry chef at New York's Colicchio & Sons. The self-described czar of zeppole has put together the perfect starter guide to turning out most any type of yeast-raised or cake-based doughnut you can imagine.

There's a surprising amount of variety packed into the book's stark white pages, splashed and spattered as they are with cream fillings and dripping glaze. The title itself is broad, but the contents even broader, with inventive iterations on a theme (like Whiskey Glazed Doughnuts with Passionfruit Caramel) that, thanks to Collucci's recipes, are as easy to make as they are to crave. Presented as a course in doughnut-making with all the delicious bells and whistes, the book begins with the basics, like Chocolate Cake Doughnuts and Sugar and Spice Doughnut Holes and eventually ramps up to include classics like Lemon Cream Bomboloni served with a not so classic side of rhubarb chutney.

It's in the sugars, fillings, glazes and dips that chef Collucci's mark is most strongly made. A full roster of herbs and spices are used for flavor and color, and the "Accompaniments" found at the tail end of the book read like a bunch of bright scarves stuffed up a magician's sleeve, ready to dazzle the audience. Or in this case, the home cook.

We'll be featuring the recipe for everything bolded above, with Food Facts and tips to demystify some of the more temperamental aspects of home doughnut-making. Fire up your deep fryer, we're on a mission.

Win A Copy!

Thanks to the generous folks over at Crown Publishing, we are giving away five (5) copies of Glazed, Filled, Sugared, & Dipped this week. All you have to do is share your favorite doughnut in the comments section below.